Bureau of Land Management
Photo Credit: Sendi Kalcic
Southern Nevada District Office
4701 N. Torrey Pines Drive
Las Vegas, NV 89103
http://www.blm.gov/nv/st/en/fo/lvfo.1.html
Size: 6,050 acres
Elevation Range: 4,000 - 5,000 feet
Designation: Clark County Conservation of Public
Land and Natural Resources Act of 2002
BLM
Wee Thump Joshua Tree Wilderness
Area Description
The Wee Thump Joshua Tree Wilderness, west
of Searchlight, Nevada, is relatively small for a
designated wilderness, at just 6,050 acres. But
what it may lack in size, it more than makes up for
in stunning natural history.
The name Wee Thump, or “ancient ones” in the
Paiute language, tells the story of these Joshua
trees. Growing just half an inch per year on
average, the stand is home to some of the oldest
and largest Joshua trees on the planet. These
ancient ones have grown tall in the silence of the
desert, some rising to more than 30 feet over 900
years.
Photo Credit: Sendi Kalcic
Visitors can also find blackbrush, Mojave yucca,
buckhorn cholla, creosote bush, white bursage, banana yucca, bunch grass, matted cholla, and prickly pear cactus throughout the
wilderness. Birdwatchers will spot-gilded flicker (known to occur in Nevada only in this location), northern flicker, ladder-backed
woodpecker, black-throated sparrow, red-tailed hawk, crissal thrasher, golden eagle, loggerhead shrike, and cactus wren. Other
wildlife roaming this wilderness include desert tortoise, big horn sheep, coyote, desert cottontail, black-tailed jackrabbit, valley
pocket gopher and desert wood rat.
Directions
The Wee Thump Joshua Tree Wilderness is located between Searchlight, Nevada and
Nipton, California. The wilderness sits just north of State Highway 164, which provides
access to the southern border of the wilderness, and is flanked to the west by the South
McCullough Range and to the east by the Highland Range.
Wee Thump East Road leads north from State Highway 164, providing access to the
eastern border of the wilderness. Five miles west of Wee Thump East Road down State
Highway 164, Wee Thump West Road leads north, providing access to the western
border of the wilderness.
Recreation
Motorized vehicles, mechanized equipment, and mechanical transport are not permitted in designated wilderness.
Maps
USGS 7.5 Quadrangle Maps: McCullough
Mountain, Highland Spring.
Additional Information
•
Please limit group sized to 12 members.
•
Maximum length of stay: 14 days
•
Fires are not allowed, though camp stoves can
be used.
•
Collection of natural resources, including
wildlife (with the exception of hunting with
a valid hunting license or tag), plants, rocks,
or fossils in wilderness is allowed only where
consistent with current regulations.
Photo Credit: Sendi Kalcic
Southern Nevada District Office
With few visitors making their way into this wilderness, opportunities for solitude
abound. This impressive stand of Joshua trees makes for fascinating bird watching,
and the gentle slope of the land allows for relaxed hiking. The 3-mile Joshua Tree Trail
follows and old wagon road previous used by mining operations in the surrounding
areas. To access this trailhead, turn north onto Wee Thump East Road from State Route
164.
No warranty is made by the Bureau of Land Management as to the accuracy, reliability, or completeness of these data for individual use or aggregate use with other data. Original data were
compiled from various sources. This information may not meet National Map Accuacy standards. This product was developed through digital means and may be updated without notification.
Southern Nevada District Office
N
BLM
Wee Thump Joshua Tree Wilderness
